Hi all.
I will be needing to make a tarpaulin/sheet covering for an up and coming project. Thinking back to when I used to build armour,,cough cough,,,in the late 70's COUGH COUGH , I seem to remember a technique where tissue paper was soaked in glue and then draped in position.It then moulded itself to the contours of whatever it was placed on and was ready to piant.
Does this sound like its along the right lines?
Im sure there are other methods and would be very interested to hear about them.
Thanks in advance.
Nige

Yep, the old tissue paper trick is what i use. You could also try tinfoil, it does bend and fold quite naturally but can be a bit of a pain to paint. Failing that i know some people who use very thin material like silk.
Andy (++)

Cheers guys.
What would be the best glue to use?
I was thinking a normal white glue.
As the braincells are suffering from the ravages of errr,,time,,,,whats the technique for applying this "tarp"?

Yes use normal PVA white glue.
Put some water in a saucer or bowl (depends how big you want the tarp), add a few good squirts of PVA and mix until fully diluted.
Take your tissue and lay it on the water/glue mixture and let it soak in. Pick it up by 2 corners and let the eccess mixture run off. (it may be possible to squeeze out the eccess by laying the tissue on hard flat surface and pressing with another hard flat surface, but you run the risk of gluing the 2 hard flat surfaces together ) Before it totally dries out lay it down where you want it and shape it, then leave to dry. when dry paint as desired.
HTH.
Mal

P.S. I have only ever done this once and it was very very easy I mention this so if you cock it up you will feel inadiquate :-)

Thankyou for that vote of confidence oh wise one :-)

I'll second what Mal say's it is easy. I mean i did it so it must be easy :-) :-) .
Andy (++)

Well then Andy, that makes it easy peasy :-)
Nige, take a pic when you cock it up
Mal

Im only going to use it to cover up a dodgy old Spitfire anyway :-)

Nige, that would be difficult as there aint no such thing
Any news on tarp progress?
Mal

Hi Mal.
No progress on tarps,dodgy Spits,P47 or anything else.Been in Wembley arena all week with hundreds of lights and 8ft tall americans in a wrestling ring.
Playboy bunnies are nice scenery though :-)

cool sounds like you need a helper
I'll try and remember to bring the necessary to Hinckley and we'll have a go at making tarps
Mal

Very funny Mal, i will also be trying this sooner rather than later so i hope it is as easy as you say it is to get a good effect, and i agree on the topic of spitfires!

Well Sam, when you manage to do it, cos you will, post some pics to show Nige how it's done. Thus making him feel doubly inadiquate

Mal

ha thanks for the vote of confidence mal